ULI New York Blog

After Sandy Report Released

Date: July 14-19, 2013Location:New York and New JerseySponsor: ULI FoundationChair:John K. McIlwainCo-Chairs:Joe Azrack and David M. RicciSubject Area:Disaster relief

Leading up to the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, ULI has prepared After Sandy: Advancing Strategies for Long-Term Resilience and Adaptability, which offers guidance on post-disaster rebuilding and building in anticipation of future disasters in a way that helps preserve the environment, boost economic prosperity, and foster a high quality of life.

The reality of climate change will forever change community building, with planning and development decisions increasingly based on strengthening community resilience through what is built, and where and how it is built, according to a report released by ULI.

The panel of 25 members represented a broad range of expertise in infrastructure, design, real estate development, finance and investment, and public policy professions and included climate change and sustainability experts, including ULI New York and New Jersey members and national and international leaders.

The panel began with a boat tour of the New York and New Jersey region. Panel members were then separated into teams to tour several sites: Long Island and Queens (Breezy Point, the Rockaways, Long Beach, and Garden City); the eastern shores of Staten Island and New Jersey (including the northern New Jersey beaches down to Long Branch); and Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, Hoboken, and Jersey City. The panel then conducted more than100 interviews with residents, politicians, climate change experts, developers, designers, and others.

Summary of Recommendations

Candid insights and observations from the panel formed the basis for After Sandy, a comprehensive, practical set of 23 recommendations focused on four areas: land use and development; infrastructure, technology and capacity; finance, investment and insurance; and leadership and governance.

Leadership and Governance

Recommendation 23: Make critical information easily understandable and readily accessible both during and after a disaster.

The report’s overriding message: The increased frequency of severe weather events, as well as rising sea levels, are compelling the real estate industry to address climate change by working with the public sector to implement adaptive measures that better protect both the built and natural environment.